First Bank of Highland Park

What First Bank of Highland Park does

First Bank of Highland Park, legally First Bank Chicago (NMLS#421795), is a privately held, family-owned community bank founded in 1955 and headquartered at 1835 First Street, Highland Park, Illinois. The bank rebranded from First Bank of Highland Park to First Bank Chicago effective July 1, 2022, while the Highland Park location operates as a division. Under continuous Ephraim family ownership since 1980, the institution serves consumers, small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofits, middle-market and large corporate clients, and (via its Lease Finance Group) Fortune 500 companies and municipalities across Chicagoland from four locations (Highland Park, Northbrook, Skokie, Westchester).

The bank operates a diversified financial-services platform spanning personal banking (checking, savings, personal loans, private banking), business banking (checking, treasury management, merchant services, commercial credit cards), commercial banking (business lending, franchise finance, professional services lending, C&I lending, commercial real estate lending), lease financing, and nonprofit banking. Core technology is provided by Fiserv with mobile apps distributed on Apple iOS and Android; integrations include Zelle, Apple/Google/Samsung Pay, Visa and Mastercard networks, MoneyPass and Star surcharge-free ATM networks, SavvyMoney credit monitoring, QuickBooks Direct Connect, Deluxe check ordering, and a Microsoft Teams-based appointment layer. The Lease Finance Group, established in 1987, has delivered over $5 billion in equipment leasing solutions and targets deal sizes from $100,000 to $30 million for clients with revenues exceeding $250 million.

Revenue is generated primarily through net interest income from loans (personal, business, commercial real estate, lease financing) net of interest paid on deposits, supplemented by non-interest income from deposit account fees and treasury management services (ACH, wire transfers, lockbox, fraud prevention). Distribution combines four physical branches, digital (online and mobile) banking, telebanking, and relationship banker-led sales. Pricing is structured through tiered business checking accounts ($100 minimum opening, with earnings credit options), money market tiers, and quote-based commercial lending. The bank holds FDIC insurance, Equal Housing Lender status, BBB accreditation, and the AARP BankSafe Trained Seal, and has been recognized 8 consecutive years on Crain's Chicago Business Best Places to Work and named Best Bank to Work For in the US by American Banker in 2024.

Name

First Bank of Highland Park

Legal name

First Bank Chicago

Website

https://firstbankhp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

First Bank of Highland Park is a privately held, family-owned community bank founded in 1955 and headquartered in Highland Park, Illinois, serving consumers, small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofits, middle-market firms, and Fortune 500 lease-finance clients across Chicagoland through four branches and digital banking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Banking

NAICS

Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), Savings Institutions and Other Depository Credit Intermediation (52218), Savings Institutions and Other Depository Credit Intermediation (522180)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Banking Lending (Securities-Backed, Real Estate, Structured Credit) (FSABADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Prime Unsecured Personal Loans (Installment) (FSAKAAAA)

Keywords

• Community banking services
• Commercial lending solutions
• Treasury management services
• Equipment lease financing
• Deposit account products

Headquarters

HQ city

Highland Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Net Interest Income: Traditional banking revenue from interest earned on loans (personal, business, commercial real estate, lease financing) minus interest paid on deposits. Core revenue driver for community bank.
2. Non-Interest Income - Deposit Account Fees: Monthly maintenance fees, transaction fees, wire transfer fees, and other service charges on deposit accounts.
3. Treasury Management Services: Fees for ACH services, wire transfers, lockbox services, merchant services, and fraud protection tools for business customers.
4. Lease Finance Income: Equipment leasing solutions to Fortune 500 companies, healthcare systems, manufacturers, municipalities, and large corporations. Established 1987, delivered over $5 billion in leasing solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

First Bank of Highland Park is a community bank providing deposit accounts (checking, savings, money market), lending products (personal loans, business lending, commercial real estate, C&I, franchise finance, professional services lending, equipment lease financing), treasury management services (ACH, wire transfers, remote deposit capture, fraud prevention, lockbox, merchant services), private banking, and nonprofit banking. Offerings are delivered through branches in Highland Park, Northbrook, Skokie, and Westchester, supplemented by Fiserv-powered online and mobile banking with biometric login, Zelle, and SavvyMoney credit monitoring.

Product overview

First Bank of Highland Park operates as a privately held community bank offering a comprehensive suite of banking products and services organized into consumer banking (checking, savings, personal loans, private banking), commercial banking (business accounts, commercial lending, C&I lending, commercial real estate lending, franchise finance, professional services lending), treasury management solutions (ACH, wire transfers, remote deposit capture, fraud prevention, lockbox, merchant services), and digital banking platforms (online banking, mobile banking with apps for Apple/Android, commercial online banking, Bill Pay, Zelle). Additional services include lease financing for equipment, nonprofit banking, ID theft protection, safe deposit boxes, tax payment services, and AI-powered funding search tool (Fundica). The bank also provides credit score monitoring via SavvyMoney and supports digital wallet payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Checking Accounts Personal deposit checking accounts for individual consumers with free online banking, mobile banking, bill pay, Zelle transfers, account alerts, and debit card access.
• Savings Accounts Personal savings deposit accounts with competitive interest rates for consumers to accumulate funds.
• Private Banking Group Consultative banking services for family offices, business owners, industry professionals, and individuals, providing tailored financial solutions and wealth advisory.
• Personal Loans Personal lending solutions for consumers including home equity lines of credit and other personal borrowing needs, offered through the Consumer Lending team.
• Commercial Checking Account Business checking account for commercial customers with an earnings credit feature and business online banking. Requires $100 minimum to open.
• Community Business Checking Account Entry business checking account for small businesses and nonprofits with no minimum balance requirement and up to 100 free items per month. Requires $100 minimum to open.
• Advanced Business Checking Higher-tier business checking for growing businesses with up to 350 free items per month and a $3,500 average collected balance requirement. $100 minimum to open.
• Community Partners Non-Profit Checking Account Interest-bearing checking account designed for nonprofit organizations with no minimum deposit and no monthly fees. Includes free cashier's checks and money orders.
• Business Advantage Account Business money market account with monthly interest payments and no minimum balance requirement. Requires an eligible operating account to be open and maintained.
• Preferred Business Money Market Account Tiered variable-rate business money market account with a $5,000 minimum opening deposit. Includes free cashier's checks and money orders.
• Commercial Online Banking 24/7 commercial cash management platform for business clients providing real-time account access, balance reporting, transaction monitoring, wire notifications, and electronic funds transfer capabilities.
• Mobile Banking Mobile banking app for Apple iOS and Android (Fiserv-powered) enabling account access, fund transfers, mobile check deposit, loan payments, bill payment, card management, and biometric login via facial recognition, fingerprint, or Touch ID.
• Bill Pay Online bill payment service for one-time or recurring payments to any U.S. person or company, with same-day/next-day payment options and eBill delivery.
• Lease Financing Equipment leasing solutions established in 1987 serving Fortune 500 companies, healthcare systems, manufacturers, municipalities, and large private companies with revenues exceeding $250 million. Deal sizes $100,000 to $30 million, terms up to 7 years. Over $5 billion in delivered solutions.
• Business Lending Business lending offering since 1955 for small and mid-sized businesses, including term loans, SBA lending, accounts receivable financing, inventory financing, equipment/machinery financing, and commercial real estate loans.
• Commercial & Industrial Lending C&I-focused lending for middle market and large corporate clients including working capital lines, machinery and equipment financing, owner-occupied real estate, acquisition financing, syndicated credits, share repurchase, recapitalization, and general corporate purposes.
• Commercial Real Estate Lending Commercial real estate loans for acquisition, refinancing, construction, and rehabilitation with fixed or variable rates, covering multi-family, mixed use, industrial, retail, and office properties.
• Professional Services Lending Lending products for professional services firms (e.g., medical, dental, legal, accounting practices) including working capital lines, equipment financing, real estate financing, construction financing, term financing, SBA 504b financing, and letters of credit.
• Franchise Finance Franchise financing solutions covering store acquisitions, real estate purchases, refinancings, and new store development lines to support franchise system expansion.
• Non-Profit Banking Banking services for nonprofit organizations including interest-bearing checking, Fundica funding search access, foundation directory online, networking events, event sponsorship, and financial literacy programs.
• Zelle Peer-to-Peer Payments Peer-to-peer payment service integrated within online and mobile banking enabling fast, safe, free money transfers to friends and family in the U.S. using email or U.S. mobile number.
• ATM/Visa Debit Card Visa debit card with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay integration, surcharge-free ATM network access through MoneyPass and Star, card fraud text alerts, and Visa Purchase Alerts.
• Commercial Mobile Banking Commercial mobile banking app for business clients enabling bill payment, account management, mobile check deposit, internal transfers, ACH and wire transfer approvals, and transaction alerts.
• Treasury Solutions Treasury management suite for business clients including ACH origination, wire transfers, remote deposit capture, fraud prevention, lockbox, sweep services, merchant services, and commercial credit cards.
• Telebanking 24-hour telephone banking system for account inquiries and basic banking services by phone.
• Safe Deposit Boxes Secure storage boxes available in various sizes at branch locations for customer valuables and important documents.
• Pay Property Taxes Electronic property tax payment service for Cook County and Lake County customers through linked county treasurer websites.
• Pay Federal Taxes Electronic federal tax payment service offered to business customers through the IRS-sponsored EFTPS platform.
• Online Banking 24/7 personal online banking platform providing account access, balance checking, check imaging, expense tracking, and mobile banking enrollment.
• Account Alerts Real-time account alerts delivered via online banking, text, email, and push notifications for balance monitoring, deposit/withdrawal notifications, and security alerts.
• ID Theft Protection Identity theft protection resources and Deluxe ID Theft and Fraud Protection Plan enrollment for personal banking customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lease Finance Group has delivered over $5 billion in leasing solutions since 1987
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FundicacoreTechnology or IntegrationFirst Bank offers free access to Fundica's AI-powered funding search platform for business customers. Fundica uses automated web discovery, tracking bots, and a team of funding specialists to help businesses find government loans, grants, tax credits, and loan guarantees. The platform is updated in real-time and allows filtering by 35+ criteria.
• Fiserv Solutions, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationFiserv provides core banking technology solutions including the mobile banking platform. First Bank's mobile banking app is available through Google Play and Apple App stores, powered by Fiserv technology.
• Deluxe CorporationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDeluxe Corporation provides check printing services for First Bank. The bank directs customers to Deluxe for personal and business check reordering through a secure online portal.
• Early Warning Services (Zelle)coreTechnology or IntegrationFirst Bank partners with Zelle (owned by Early Warning Services, LLC) to provide fast, safe peer-to-peer payment services within the bank's mobile and online banking platform at no cost to customers.
• FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)coreOthersFirst Bank provides FDIC educational resources including Money Smart for Young People curriculum for the Junior Banking Ambassador program and consumer financial literacy materials on the website.
• VisacoreTechnology or IntegrationFirst Bank issues Visa debit cards with access to the Visa payment network. Additional services include Visa Account Updater (VAU) for automatic card information updates and Visa Purchase Alerts for fraud monitoring.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Heartland Financial (HTLF): Multi-state community bank holding company with comparable size, diversified commercial banking, and equipment finance businesses; relevant peer for benchmarking community bank performance.
• First Busey Corporation: Illinois-headquartered community bank with comparable deposit-gathering, commercial lending, and treasury management offerings across the Midwest; similar size band and customer mix.
• Midland States Bancorp: Midwest community bank with comparable commercial banking, equipment finance, and wealth management offerings; overlapping Illinois footprint and similar mid-market commercial lending focus.
• North Shore Community Bank & Trust: Locally headquartered community bank on Chicago's North Shore serving similar affluent demographic with personal and small-business banking products.
• Wintrust Financial: Larger Chicago-based community banking franchise with multiple chartered banks serving similar customer segments; provides direct competition for Chicago deposit and commercial lending relationships.
• Old National Bancorp (incl. First Midwest): Large Midwest commercial bank resulting from the First Midwest acquisition; directly competes in Chicago-area commercial and CRE lending with comparable relationship-banking approach.
• Byline Bancorp: Chicago-based community bank holding company of comparable size serving small/mid-sized businesses and consumers in the Chicago metro with a similar community-bank model and relationship-banking focus.
• Inland Bank and Trust: Chicago-area community bank offering similar personal, business, and commercial banking products with a comparable community-focused relationship model.

Broad incumbents

• BMO Harris Bank: Large commercial bank with deep Chicago/Midwest roots; overlaps directly with First Bank's commercial, treasury, and middle-market banking segments in the same geography.
• JPMorgan Chase (Chase Bank): Nationwide banking giant with major Chicago presence; competes for the same deposit, treasury management, and middle-market commercial clients as First Bank, though from a vastly larger scale and broader product set.

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/firstbankhp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCW1EYsoJsuGivolkdL-F90A
• Facebookfacebook.com/firstbankofhighlandpark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-bank-of-highland-park
• Instagraminstagram.com/firstbankhp

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about First Bank of Highland Park